1 grave
Pronounced:
/ˈgreɪv/
Function:
nounInflected forms:
plural gravesMeaning:
[count] 1 : a hole in the ground for burying a dead body ▪ dig a grave ▪ The casket was lowered into the grave. ▪ He was buried in a shallow grave. ▪ We went to the cemetery to visit my aunt's grave. [=to visit the place where my aunt's body is buried] ▪ A headstone marks her son's grave. ▪ grave robbers [=people who dig up a buried body to steal the things that were buried with it] ◊When people think that a dead person would be very shocked or upset to see something that is happening now, they say that person is or must be turning/spinning in his/her grave or US turning over in his/her grave or US rolling (over) in his/her grave. ▪ The company founder must be turning in his grave because of the changes we've made.
2 —used to talk about death ▪ She took her secrets with her to the grave. [=she died without telling anyone her secrets] ▪ He believes that there is life beyond the grave. [=that there is life after death] ▪ A hard life drove him to an early grave. [=caused him to die when he was fairly young] ▪ She went to her grave [=she died] a lonely and bitter woman.
2 —used to talk about death ▪ She took her secrets with her to the grave. [=she died without telling anyone her secrets] ▪ He believes that there is life beyond the grave. [=that there is life after death] ▪ A hard life drove him to an early grave. [=caused him to die when he was fairly young] ▪ She went to her grave [=she died] a lonely and bitter woman.
dig your own grave —see 1dig
from (the) cradle to (the) grave —see 1cradle
have one foot in the grave —see 1foot